The Jade Samurai
by ralynsevenfoldd
Summary: "I left the Kesshō clan years ago. I did not agree with the path my father went down and desperately wanted me to follow. Though, because of him, I suppose I will always be known as the Jade Samurai.
1. Chapter 1

"This elixir I've concocted contains healing properties of bloodstone and sapphire. I've had it soaking in the suns brightest rays since early this morning, it should rid you of that tumor in a few days time." A feminine voice spoke, scooping the liquid in a large wooden spoon. She held the elderly woman, making her sit upward. "Drink." She instructed, holding the spoon to her lips. The woman complied with orders, sipping the liquid slowly. The healer grabbed an additional stone, green malachite, to draw out any remaining toxins in the woman's system.

After laying the elder back down, she rolled the malachite between her palms until it was warm from her energy and placed it over the location of the tumor. A green aura radiated from the stone, slowly fading into a dismal grey color.

"Oh, Yara. I am forever indebted to you. My village needs me, my end was near before I could anticipate it. You have truly been a blessing, I don't know how we'll get along after your departure." She reached a meek hand up to cup Yara's cheek, soothing back her hair with her thumb.

Yara leaned into her palm, accepting her thanks. "I have no need for payment, Saeko. You have plenty of good years left in you, I'm simply here to see that you carry them out. I'll allow you to rest but first," Yara paused, pulling out a raw cut of black tourmaline. She wrapped a wire around the widest part, creating an eyelet to lace a piece of twine through and fashioned it into a necklace, "This is black tourmaline. It acts as a guardian stone, hang it in the village entrance while I'm away and it shall keep you safe until I make my return. However, I am not needed anywhere else for the time being so you shouldn't be putting it to use any time soon. I'll tend to the children, you focus your energy on the malachite for a quick recovery." Yara tucked the stone beneath Saeko's pillow and ducked out of the hut, returning to the village center.

"Yara! Yara!" The village twins called her name enthusiastically, waving their arms wildly as they approached.

"Yara! The stew is done!" The young boy spoke, pointing to a pot overhanging a pit of fire.

"Oh? Did I prepare it to your liking?"

"Saeko makes it with more potatoes."

"No she doesn't, Reo! Yara, make my stones magic! I wanna heal people, too!" Rina, the sister, pushed her brother out of her path, shoving two stones in Yara's cornea. They were mere river rocks but far be it from her to stop a little girls dream of helping others.

"My, what beautiful stones you've picked. Reo, I'll put on a fresh pot of potatoes for you as soon as I 'bless' Rina's crystals." Yara outstretched her palm for the girl to drop the rocks in and knelt down to Rina's height. Yara touched the rocks to the jade hanging in the center of her gunmetal head chain, "Rina, do I have your word that you'll use these crystals for good, and good only? Only to help people, never to harm?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Are they magic now?!"

Yara closed her eyes and hummed some mystical sounding mumbo jumbo, making a show of it for the child's amusement. "They are ready, healer Rina. Make good decisions." She handed the rocks back to the giddy girl and stood up, turning her back to prepare potatoes for Reo. As she began chopping, she heard a _woosh_ behind her, followed by tears. Rina had cut her brother with her sharp finger nail.

"Stop crying, Reo! I'm going to fix you, because I'm magic now."

Yara kept cutting produce but let out an exasperated sigh. "That's...one way to do it." She made a mental note to explain how her powers actually worked and that there was nothing magic about it.

"Forgive me for intruding, miss, but are you the Jade Samurai?" A voice Yara didn't recognize sounded from behind her, a males voice. Whoever it was, it wasn't village folk. She didn't turn her attention over, though.

The blade of the knife fell quick and jammed its way into the wood underneath. Yara had to tug hard to remove it. She smirked and twirled the knife on her shoulder, causing the fabric of her kimono to tear, "I left the Kesshō clan years ago. I did not agree with the path my father went down and desperately wanted me to follow. Though, because of him, I suppose I will always be known as the Jade Samurai. So, to answer your question, yes. I am Yara Aratani. Have you been put under orders from the great Masahiko to recruit me once more?"

"No. In fact, I have no relation to your father, nor am I apart of the Kesshō. I'm just a messenger from a medic. We were called to your people and I was given your description. I've roamed for months now to find a girl matching your appearance, one who has the jade stone embedded in their hilt. Masahiko has grown quiet ill. I'll admit, the Kesshō insisted we weren't needed to give medical assistance. We suspect we were just there to deliver you the news. Yara, your father is quite ill. I can't give you a precise update on his condition, since it took me so long to locate you, but my only suggestion now is to go to him."

Yara nodded, tossing the potatoes in boiling water. "Understood."

 **Authors Note: Hello, hello, Yu Yu Hakusho fans! This is my first attempt at anime in over, like 7 years? The last YYH fic I started was on my old pen name (I no longer have access to that account) Wasting Word, if you'd like to head over and take a peek. You'll see it's a quite a different undertone, so we'll see how this works out. I've mainly been spending my time doing rewrite on old fics on that account but I'm happy to be getting back into my roots. I'm hoping that I make it more than two chapters in with this one, but I have high hopes! Of course, I don't own YYH except Yara and basically everyone you don't recognize from the series. Hope you all enjoyed this little snippet. Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Yara gazed upon her home, breathing in an air of destruction that surrounded her, the village of Kōseki reduced to nothing more than a gravesite.

What was once her home stood like skeletons, a barren wasteland. Whoever raided Kōseki left hints of an apocalypse, burning everything to the ground. Burnt flesh and ash swirled the air, the skies were empty and the sun hung blood red in a dark haze; her village completely wiped away.

How long had she been gone? Signs of famine scattered the land, all their crops uprooted and singed. Certainly, the siege had gone on far longer than the messenger let on.

The small, off grid cottages were upturned and deboned, leaving less than the structure they were built with. Weapons and crystals scattered the land, a gleam of defeat reflecting off them.

The large formation of quartz that stood as the symbol of the Kesshō in the village center was chipped away until nothing but shards remained. It was meant to keep their village and people near invincible, feeding off the energy of Samurai Aratani.

"Masahiko, what have you done?" Yara cursed her father as she scouted what was left of Kōseki. Perhaps if she stayed, she could have stopped this certain destruction, kept her father from acting so recklessly.

A skull with rotting flesh clinging to the supercillary arch and front squama sat in the doorway of one of the better preserved cottages. Yara stepped forth to investigate. She took the skull in his hands, tracing the bone structure with her thumb. She guessed from the curvature of the cheek bone it was Akifumi, her fathers right hand man. He was always kind to her where the other men were too corrupted to treat her as she was at the time, a child. Akifumi would often bring her small treasures or indulge her in her studies of crystals, indulging her with her ever growing knowledge of the chakras. When Masahiko was off on a solo rampage, he would play childhood games with her like tag or hide and seek. Masahiko, though a codeless brute, did care for Yara but not in the way a father should. He was overly protective of her but rarely allowed him for the innocence of childhood, hell bent on training her to take his place someday.

"You deserved better than the life my father gave you, Akifumi." She carried the remains with her, digging a shallow grave near the waters edge. Yara placed an indigo crystal with the skull before sweeping the dirt over it, "Your body may be gone but your love is not. I'll forever cherish your kindness. May the indicolite bring you peace in the afterlife." She clasped her hands in front of her, palm to palm, offering a quick prayer.

Kōseki was a large village, containing bodies of water, lush trees, formations of fire agate and turquoise, breathtaking mountains—each a proper training grown for the chakras respective elements. The lake she choose for Akifumi's burial was filled with less than pleasant memories, though. It was the training ground of choice for Yara, where Masahiko would put her against other children also next in line to become vicious manslayers.

 _Yara, age 5:_

" _It's time that you refine your skills with a weapon, little one. The gift of manipulating crystals comes naturally to our people, I've arranged a battle with a child from the neighboring village." Masahiko's deep voice rumbled, exchanging the rocks in her hand for the kaiken he'd had from the moment her mother fell pregnant._

 _Towering at an even seven foot, the young girl stood only to his shin. Ash brown hair tumbled wildly to the middle of his well defined back, covering new lacerations from his latest conquest. Almost translucent grey eyes held the young one in his gaze, a proud father indeed._

 _Yara toppled over from the weight of the blade, "It's heavy." She noted, exerting herself with as much strength as her small body had to wield the blade. Her wrists were barely the size of the hilt and they bent painfully to the sides while she struggled to grasp it. Masahiko steadied her, holding the blade at an even, undaunted angle, leveled just under her nose._

" _Now, take a few practice swings. Aim for the fleshy part of my calf." Yara peered up at her father, hesitant at his request. Fear of striking the man who raised her twisted her features, earning a chuckle from him, "It would take a thousand of you to actually harm me. Go on, Yara."_

 _A bold look shifted onto her face and she did as instructed, letting out a war cry that warbled her meek voice. Her first few attempts threw her in various directions, she ended up taking quite a few tumbles. The frustration consuming her on the fifth attempt allowed her to slice through a thin layer of skin. She dropped the kaiken, eyes beaming for Masahiko's approval. He responded with a curt nod, positioning her back into her stance until she managed to bloody his leg up with superficial cuts. Strike forward, strike backwards, lunge into your opponent._

 _Dodging skills came easily to the girl, deflecting her fathers hand with the blade and contorting her body to narrowly avoid her fathers light blows. "Well done, daughter. Are you feeling prepared for your first battle?"_

" _Yes, sir!" Masahiko flashed a grin, sliding a large hand under the girls feet. He held her body to his chest as his footsteps echoed through Kōseki, bringing her to her opponent._

 _The boy she was to fight looked beyond his years, she recognized his eyes were devoid of all emotion as Masahiko's were. He'd started training long before her, she could tell._

 _No pleasantries were exchanged, the boy ran in Yara's direction, blade first. The ferocity of his movements caused Yara to stumble back, catching his blade on her cheek. Tears welled her eyes but she shook them off, using the blood that rolled down her face as motivation._

 _Masahiko watched with a tight jaw._

 _Yara regained her confidence a millisecond too late, the boy came back, driving the blade into her shoulder. "Shake him off, Yara. An Aratani will not be defeated so easily!" Yara took her fathers words to heart, jumping away from the boy. Their defensive skills were evenly matched and they carried on striking their blades together before Yara gained an opening, creating a gash on his kneecap. He cried out in pain, clasping his hands over is knee in a weak attempt to stop the blood flow. She took the moment to fling herself in the air again, driving her sword into the ground inches away from his neck._

 _Yara towered over him, unsure how to feel at the sight of the boy. The boys father called the match while Yara stood, stunned. What type of life was her father preparing her for?_

 _She ran back into the village, retrieving her stones and bandages. She began to unravel them when Masahiko stepped in, healing the boy himself. The victory was certainly hers, both males knew that. Masahiko directed his attention to Yara. He held his palm above her shoulder, overcoming it with a warm sensation. She watched the gash close before her eyes. "Very good, Yara. You'll make a fine replacement someday." He paid no attention to the father cursing his son for being beaten by a girl._

Her brutality at five years old was startling, willing to end another's child life for her fathers approval. What disturbed her even more, was that he was more than willing to expand on her murderous instincts for his own gain. Her past made her question why she ventured back to speak her parting words to Masahiko and what she had done in a past life to deserve such a parent.

 _Yara, age ten:_

 _The pinnacle of her swordsmanship came from aiding her father in his onslaught. Yara would accompany him, following on his heels like a well trained dog. She was simply there for observation and training purposes, fighting as back up. Though he was training a killer, he was never ready to lose his only kin in the heat of battle. Over the years, she'd faced many children with the same desire but no one held a candle to her mischief, if she died there would be no one to carry on the legacy of the Kesshō._

 _With her skills showing no sign of faltering, he decided she was of the proper age to claim her first life. It would have to someone of meaning, someone close, to get her past the sting of killing comrades. Some people weren't worthy of living, even those of your own._

 _The nemesis: Yakamura Takahatchi, long time friend and would be suitor, had they been a traditional bunch. Yakamura, himself, was a force to be reckoned with. If anyone could compete with Yara it would surely be him. Yara didn't know she would be responsible for the slaughter of her best friend. Masahiko made him out to be some wandering apparition, bored for a fight against Masahiko's greatest._

 _Yara prepared herself by brushing up on her hand to hand combat, easily her weakest point. She slammed her fist repeatedly into the bark of a withering tree, creating a dent large enough for the smallest of breezes to send it crashing to the ground._

" _Your truest test comes today, Yara. The day where you prove yourself to be my prodigy. Can you handle it, making your first kill?"_

 _Yara turned to her father, wrapping her wounds, "Yes, father. I'll make your proud. I'll continue the Kesshō long after your death." She said with confidence, swiping her sword over her white kimono. She stared into it, examining her reflection before sheathing it._

" _Don't be so eager to plan my funeral, Yara. Come, your challenger awaits." Masahiko took his daughters hands in his, transferring a small sliver of his energy to her. Enough to entice the demon in her but not enough to corrupt her. "Close your eyes, this adversary is a special one." He lead a blind Yara to the place of her first skirmish just five years before._

 _Once she felt the presence of her opponent, she opened her eyes, taken aback by the eleven year old standing in front of her. "Yakamura?" Her voice was cloaked in misery._

 _Yakamura had no words to offer but she saw a look of pity flash in his amber eyes. He rolled his neck, loosening himself up. He made his first kill at seven._

" _Why would you do this?" Yara shouted angrily to her father. He waved a dismissive hand, drawing her attention back to Yakamura._

" _Make it quick." Masahiko muttered, showing no signs of remorse._

 _Through tear filled eyes, Yara paced her best friend, matching her strides with his. She sidestepped his blade as he readied it to make contact, sliding under his legs. Yara struck him in the back of his neck with her hand, dropping him momentarily. "Yakamura..." she began, jumping on his sword as he swung behind her._

 _They were back to back, dancing in repetitive circles. Yakamura kicked his leg back, hooking it under her ankle and knocked her to her back. He delivered a blow to her side with his foot, rolling her a few feet away from him. She stayed down, whispering for him to come to his senses, to remember their friendship as he charged her. It was to no avail, the moment she stood on her knees regain a defensive stance he was in her face again. She jerked the hilt of her sword into his nose, fracturing it. It provided her enough time to put some space between them. Hurting him was not her goal but it seemed to be his, and she valued her life far more than their friendship._

 _In one swift movement, he slid his blade across her side, cutting through the fabric of her kimono. Yara wiped the blood from the wound away, throwing it in his face to blind him. She balled her hand into a fist, connecting it to his jaw. Thrown off but not defeated, he threw lunged his blade toward her abdomen. She sacrificed her hands, grabbing either side of the sword, flipping herself off of it and away from him. They stood face to face, Yakamura squinting through the blood. Yara grounded herself, holding her sword as her father taught her. Her eyes connected with his, communicating that if he was death he wanted then so be it. Yara nudged two fingers towards herself, readying her blade for his attack. He took the bait as she intended, once again coming at her head on with a blade meant for a kill shot. She planted her blade in the earth, swinging it in an upward motion when he came close, cutting a perfect line from his navel to his sternum._

" _Walk away, Yakamura." She warned. Blood trickled from the large cut, Yakamura gazed at her wide eye'd. Like he didn't know she was capable of such a thing. She was kinder than Masahiko had ever been and he was convinced the attachment to her emotions would ensure him a victory._

 _He didn't have much fight left in him after the sizable wound she made but he used the last of his strength to pull out a concealed dagger, aiming it straight for her jugular. Yara caught his motion through her peripherals, catching him by the wrist and forcing the dagger from his hand. She took control of the small blade, shoving it directly between his eyes. With his final breath, he slammed into Yara, spilling his blood on her chest. She scrambled to her feet, heart pounding wildly while she controlled her breathing._

 _Her eyes fell as lifeless as his. She walked away from his corpse and past Masahiko with nothing left of her soul._

—

Patrol work became troublesome to Hiei. Demon World was quiet, deprived of fun. Those from the Living World had gained some intelligence and stopped making wrong turns into his territory. Everything had become overwhelmingly peaceful since Enki took his reign as king.

He found himself returning to the Living World more often than not, only to be met with the same boredom. Yusuke was focused on making an honest man out of himself, trying to do right by Keiko, failing to propose time after time again. Kurama and Kuwabara were focused on their studies. They tried to keep what was left of their group alive by frequenting popular spots in Japan; restaurants, arcades, the occasional concert. With nothing better to do, they dragged him along, trying to fit him in with their idea of fun.

It never worked, he always had a snarky quip to deliver or an eye roll to dish out.

The rouge in him thought to stir up some trouble regardless of consequences because, _man alive_ , he needed something to keep his sanity.

He made a final sweep of the area before making the decision to retire to 'his' tree for a the remainder of the day. Taking the scenic route sounded somewhat appealing, with evening falling upon the land, maybe he would stumble upon some excitement before turning in.

Yara perched herself in a tree, knowing Hiei would soon cross her path. For mere guard duty, he was radiating an adequate amount of energy. She let her legs dangle from the branch, laying her crystals out, trying to find the one to call Hiei's attention to her. Satisfied with the one that chose her, she held the tumbled stone between her palms, absorbing its psychic abilities.

The only thing she had taken from her home that night was a collection of stones and Masahiko's refined swordsman skills. She knew better than to tussle with Hiei as far as physical matters went. She wasn't mental, after all. Yara bided her time until she felt his energy from half a mile away. An amethyst glow appeared in the palm of her right hand, flowing from the center until it located its mark. She made her departure when she felt the disruption. Again, she had sense enough to fear him.

—

A jolt of static frazzled his third eye, sending a zapping feeling through his 4'10", not including his hair, frame. He paused in his tracks, waiting to feel it again.

Nothing.

He flittered through the abandoned woodland, checking trees and valleys. His eyes narrowed as he chopped through an unsuspecting bush. Where did that come from? The silence truly was driving him to insanity.

No.

He felt something.

He buried his hands deep in his pockets after exploring a vast amount of nothingness. He would pay Kurama a visit, recruit the other idiots. Kurama was nothing if not intuitive, when Yusuke and Kuwabara inevitably failed him, Kurama would pick up on whatever was tailing him.

Hiei took residence on the fox demons bed, outstretching his limbs like a tired sloth.

He glanced at the clock overhanging the bookshelf in the otherwise bland room. 9:30pm. Kurama would be returning from his night class any moment now.

"Class went well, mother. No, I dined out with Yusuke after. I'll be down the wrap the leftovers momentarily." Kurama called, standing the doorway to his room. He dropped his book bag by his desk, claiming the chair at his desk. He swiveled to face Hiei, "Hiei, what brings you around at such late hours?"

"It appears someone has a death wish. I was patrolling tonight and felt...something. Nothing I've ever felt before, I need you to help me locate the source."


	3. Chapter 3

"I think your feeding us a crock of shit, Hiei." Yusuke folded his hands behind his head, looking up at the uninterrupted blue sky speckled with candy floss clouds.

"You've been a victim of monotony for too long, Urameshi. I'm not surprised your comprehension skills are so low. I've yet to meet anything that can disrupt my Jagan the way this presences has."

"Are ya sure you didn't just poke it? Swinging your sword wildly against an imaginary apparition must cause some major kick back." Yusuke cracked himself up.

"Hehehe, yeah, or maybe a bug flew into it!" This time it was Kuwabara who launched into boisterous laughter. The two collapsed to the ground, holding their sides as orb shaped tears rolled down their cheeks.

' _The tall one shouldn't make jokes.'_ Yara thought but his attempt at humor was fairly endearing. She guessed him to be the stooge of the four.

"Imbeciles," The fire demon snarled, coming to a stop in an empty field. "This is where I felt the disturbance."

Yusuke composed himself, followed by Kuwabara. "Big tough grass, short stack. I know it's almost taller than you but there's nothing to be afraid of." Yusuke quipped and continued his snickering. "Damn, I'm hilarious."

Kurama's shoulders shook with quiet laughter. It was always a joy to see the two gang up on Hiei.

Kuwabara opened his mouth to deliver the next comment, taking a step forward to explore the open area. Something in the grass rolled underneath his shoe, throwing him face first into the ground. He was quick to stand up and take a swat at Hiei, "Hey, man, we're just _pokin'_ a little fun at you! Lighten up a bit, will ya?!"

"That wasn't me, idiot. Once again, your negligence proves to be your downfall. Perhaps someone should send you back to infancy in order for you to learn to walk again." Hiei sneered and twisted Kuwabara's arm behind his back, pressing into it with force.

"Quit goofin' and pay attention, Kuwabara," Yusuke dropped on his knees, examining what caused him to lose his footing. Crystals of all sizes and colors. "Wait, I've seen these before. They're these cheap rock things tourists buy after leaving Japan. Pretty useless, considering you can't do nothin' with 'em."

Yara took Yusuke's discovery as her cue to make an appearance. She flipped off the branch of the tree that concealed her, landing directly in front of the four, "Intuitive, Spirit Detective. You are correct, they hold no worth to you or anyone from the Living World. Those rocks, as you call them, are chakra stones."

Team Urameshi beheld the sight of the mysterious girl. Hair as green as the jade hanging in the middle of her forehead twisted into a bun to the side of her head, she was dressed in a grey kimono with red linings that hit at the knee, exposing the skin on her olive toned legs. Alexandrite eyes passed over the boys now posed in a fighting stance. Her lips curved into a smile and she released a light laugh, "I'm not here for a fight. My first kill was at ten years old and I surely intend for it to be my last."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow, "Okay? So if you don't have a problem, why are you picking on ol' bandage arm over here?"

"Shrimpy hasn't gone nutso after all, I didn't pick up on her energy until she ambushed us. What even are you?" The ginger headed boy paced a slow circle around Yara.

"My apologies for doubting you, Hiei. Kuwabara was spot on, I wasn't aware of her energy, either." Kurama stepped forth, studying the stones in Yusuke's hand, "I've heard tales of chakras being used by apparitions before. I trust that you aren't here to cause harm, but why did you seek us out?" He spoke, reinforcing Urameshi's question.

Yara's hand went to the hilt of her sword, removing a metallic black quartz with a rainbow gleam. "Traveling companions. My name is Yara Aratani, and I am of the Kesshō Samurai. My father is being held captive and close to his final breath. There's not a demon in all the land that doesn't know of team Urameshi and I require your aid, namely the Jaganshi." Yara took a large stride foreword, aquatinting herself with Hiei's face. Her slender fingers grazed the bandage covering his Jagan eye as she marveled, "I never thought I'd see this in person. I have something of a third eye, myself, but it's not near as exquisite as yours."

Yusuke slumped over in annoyance. So many questions. "Hold on for a damn minute, you have a third eye, too?!"

"I said _something_ of a third eye. Allow me to explain. I'm widely known as the jade apparition, I can manipulate my chakra stones with demon energy, taking on the elements and properties they possess. The amethyst opens the third eye chakra, by definition it aids in the act of psychic vision. While it's not a direct correlation to the Jagan, the properties of the stone allowed me to catch Hiei's attention. Similar to that, I used titanium quartz to cloak my energy and remain hidden until I gathered you here." Yara flashed the amethyst between her fingers.

"Basically you're some type of sorceress, then. Am I picking up what your putting down?"

"Hardly. I don't require the use of spells or incantations to power my stones. I can manipulate them as easily as you manipulate your spirit gun. I can put them to use in many ways, I find it easiest to interchange them in the hilt of my sword, it's the least draining."

Hiei let out an unamused grunt, darting back from Yara quicker than her eyes could catch. "You'll need a story far more compelling than that if you expect my guidance. A little girl who plays with rocks is hardly worthy of my time."

"Perhaps another demonstration is needed to sway you." Yara smirked, flicking the tumbled stone into Hiei's forehead. The bandage protecting the Jagan fell away on impact.

A electric feeling wracked through his body, straight through to his brain, crippling him on impact. Yara pounced, pinning the fire demons arms under her knees Alexandrite met crimson as his body convulsed beneath her, angry whimpers of anguish escaped his lips as he tried to fight through the pain jolting his body. Even under her light weight, the sensation pulsating through his body kept him bound to the ground. Had he not been in excruciating pain, he would have been throughly impressed. A new challenge.

"Interesting, isn't it? You've never encountered a being who could disturb your implant. I don't wish to make an enemy of you but you'll find I'm much more than a girl who can manipulate chakras." Her face remained devoid of emotion as she stroked the fire apparitions jaw with her free hand. His jaw tensed and his teeth grinder under he touch, the bones in his body trembled as he continued trying to shake her. She'd never met anyone who could draw Masahiko's temper out in her. Yara was as kind hearted as her father was sinister, it was a quality she valued above anything.

"Enough!" Kurama shouted, slicing his arm through the air in a cutting motion. Yara snapped her head up, seemingly coming out of her possessed state. She drew the crystal back into her hand, releasing Hiei from her hold. She removed herself off the imiko and retreated to her previous position in the center.

A look of malicious intent swirled in Hiei's crimson eyes as he braced himself for retaliation. With the same arm he stopped the battle with, Kurama held Hiei away from her.

He, an S-Class demon, reduced to nothing by a rock? Unacceptable. Now he was hungry for blood.

Fortunately, Yara knew pride would keep him coming back, ravenous for a true fight. She accepted these terms the moment she decided to recruit him.

"Have I proved myself worthy, fire demon?"

Hiei flickered over Kurama, swinging his sword downward, plummeting towards Yara. Off with her head! A quick and painless death. The arrogance from thinking a damn rock could take him down. "You're incredibly foolish, girl. It's a shame I have to end your life, I'm actually quiet intrigued how you managed to drop me with such a cheap trick."

Yara's eyes followed him closer than she had before, anticipating his next move. She bowed her head in silence, accepting her fate with Hiei inches above her head.

The clang of metal on metal rang through the forest, causing the lower class demons to scatter. "What?!" Hiei scowled, skidding across the grass, fisting the ground to halt himself. She deflected it! And she was so smug about it— that's what fueled his anger even more. It was a clean shot, she should be in two. Yara sat tight in her spot, sheathing her sword with a flick of her wrist.

The other three watched on with speechless intensity. The dominating move from Yara, Hiei's attack shut down as quickly as it began. He didn't hesitate to charge her again. This time, he had the intention to shatter the jade on her forehead, he could sense it was the source of her power.

Ever the protector, the warrior of love stepped in front of Yara, spirit sword at the ready. The look that furrowed his brow told Hiei he wasn't backing down, despite the fact Yara provoked him. It was enough to distract Hiei but not nearly enough. "Get out of my way, you buffoon. I won't hesitate to strike you down, too."

Yara bunched the loose material of the tall ones jacket, tugging him back from the loose canon imiko, "Courageous, my friend. Thank you but I initiated this, I can take this one myself."

Yusuke huffed, tired of all the antics. Why was it always a fight? Just once, he wanted to get through a damn story without argument. "Not violent my ass! Hey, green girl, back in your corner! Hiei, go brood over there. Now, rewind. Why should daddy dearest mean anything to us? Who is he?"

Yara relaxed her body, sliding her back down the trees bark until her bottom hit the ground. "Masahiko Aratani, often known and Sumokiko. He wields the stone of power, smoky quartz. It makes him a rather formidable enemy, connecting him to frighteningly dark power. Most who have chosen to follow my father were once well intended beings, until Masahiko corrupted their souls with the quartz. He's started war with many demons over the years."

The name alone was enough to drop the guard of Hiei and Kurama. His curiosity piqued, Kurama placed his hand under his chin, "So you're the fabled daughter of Sumokiko. Yes, I'm quite aware of the power he possess. It's been sometime since I've heard any activity from him, though."

"I've had my own run in with Sumokiko," Hiei began, seemingly relaxed now. His gaze was still trained on Yara, thinking of all the ways he could destroy her frail body, "I remember how much that rock enhanced his fighting ability. I was a lesser demon when I fought him, before I got caught up with these fools. Always have wanted a rematch but he must have had no qualms with me."

"As you can imagine, there's quite a bounty on Masahiko's head. Much like Kurama, he went on to live a low key life. Manipulating a crystal of that magnitude is quite draining, he needed time to recover."

The two apparitions remained locked in a staring match, Hiei was trying to intimidate her. She placed on leg over the other casually, releasing a stream of her energy to match his. In case he wanted another quarrel. She took notice to the blue stone hanging around his neck, breaking his gaze to eyeball it. Odd that someone who didn't believe in her powers was sporting a stone of his own. Hiei shifted his arms in front the necklace when he caught her staring.

Yusuke 'hmm'd, tilting his head to the side as he began piecing things together. He took an orange crystal and rolled it between his fingers, "So you got out while you still could. Ha, I should be mad for attacking Hiei but I gotta say I'm surprised that this little thing can cause so much damage. Need hired muscle then, huh? You said you don't kill anymore."

"I'm sorry for displaying such violence, Hiei. I knew you would need some convincing to help me. Indeed, detective, I've separated myself the Kesshō as far as I could. I travel helping those in need, simple demons who chose a life of normalcy. I often serve them as a healer, but I also grow crops for them, tend to children, provide them food and protection. No, I am more than confident in my ability to defeat a foe without bloodshed. I'm simply too kind hearted for such matters and an trying to make up for the destruction my father has caused." Yara explained, gathering her stones and placing them back in the pouch wrapped around her swords sheath. She tossed a jade in Urameshi's direction, "Should you decide to aid me, the jade will guide you to wherever I may be." Her back was turned to the gang as she made her departure, only to be stopped by the Jaganshi's voice.

"If you want my assistance, I require a fight. I've wanted to battle Masahiko in my strongest form but his daughter will do just fine." The fire demon threatened, digging the tip of his blade lightly into her back.

"In due time, Jaganshi." She spoke with false confidence. Yara would only be as good as her skills of sword and stone would take her, once Hiei summoned his dragon she wouldn't stand a chance. It was better of her to feign like she could stand against him in battle, especially after watching him in countless tournaments.

Yusuke and Kuwabara watched until she faded into the greenery of the forest. Kuwabara waited until she was out of earshot to speak, "Well, what do we think? I believe her, the energy coming from her when she had Hiei pinned was crazy strong."

"Hn. You'll believe anything bearing resemblance to a female," Hiei chided, touching his sword to Kuwabara's nose as a warning before he could make a profess his love for Yukina for the millionth time since he's known him.

"Her story does seem to fall in line with my knowledge of the Kesshō," The red headed fox jumped in, "If she was a threat to us at all, we would have heard her name by this point. Her energy is strong but she does seem soft enough to truly be needing a group to travel with."

"Get in touch with toddler breath. I need to research this lost daughter before we jump into anything. She could be pulling a fast one. God damn it, I'm not even Spirit Detective anymore! Every other spirit detective was left alone after they got out." Yusuke grumbled, fisting the air.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the repost, guys. Something messed up when I posted the original and I didn't notice until now.**

Team Urameshi gathered in the bedroom of Kazuma Kuwabara, huddled around the laptop, waiting for Koenma's bratty face to appear. Communication with the toddler king was annoyingly accessible despite being fired from the gig of Spirit Detective. One would think security would be upped to keep contact at a minimum.

Of course, Botan made too many appearances in Living World, unable to be away from the boys for too long. Poor girl was terribly sentimental. Yusuke pumped her for information but came up empty, as she resumed her role of ferrying souls back to Spirit World. Always the worry wart, she walked the perimeter of Kuwabara's room, stepping over the mound of snacks he compiled for the occasion.

Hiei lazed in the corner, folded into himself, still bitter about yesterday's events. The way Yara fought proved she wasn't helpless. Let her find her father by herself, it was a waste of energy to chaperone the green hair with daddy issues.

"Yo," Koenma spoke, chubby face overtaking the screen. "I thought our last conversation was pretty direct. Spirit World is no longer your responsibility."

Yusuke tapped the table the laptop was set on impatiently, "If Hiei wasn't targeted, this conversation wouldn't even be happening. Got anything on Yana Akatarri?"

"Yara Aratani," Kurama corrected, picking a piece of fuzz of his pants, "She claims to be the daughter of Masahiko Aratani, alias Sumokiko. She came to us saying he's been taken captive and requires the use of Hiei's Jagan to help locate him."

"Oh, my." Koenma mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose— a habit he'd developed when things went awry.

"Shit yourself, or what?" Yusuke chuckled, "Think I can smell you from here."

Koenma's hand dropped, narrowing his eyes at Yusuke out of frustration. He folded his arms in front of his chest and grinned proudly, "I'll have you know I'm almost fully potty trained now. I'm down to one diaper a da-", he cleared his throat, tapping a stack of papers on his desk in order. He shifted himself into a business like position before continuing, "Yes, I've heard of Masahiko being held prisoner. Some demon trying to settle an old grudge. Frankly, I was counting on his death to resolve the problem but if she came to you..." Koenma's face was replaced with a side by side photograph of Masahiko and ten year old Yara. The team was cheek to cheek now, tilting their heads to the screen to examine the photo in greater detail. Feature for feature, the kinship was apparent. "This is the last known picture of her, we stopped keeping tabs on her years ago due to inactivity. We've had several imposters trying to pass off as the lost child of Sumokiko, is this the girl you encountered?"

"No wonder she changed her hair, looks just like the bastard." Kuwabara touched the screen, connecting her features to his, "Yup, that's her."

Koenma looked concerned by Kuwabara's comment, switching the screen back to him. "In any case, bring her to Living World. I'll need to conduct a formal interview before bringing you out of retirement."

"You're up, shorty." Yusuke retrieved the jade she'd given him from his pocket. He tossed it in Hiei's direction but it bounced off the back of his hand.

"No." A childish word of defiance.

"You'll find her faster than any of us will."

Kurama stood upright, gathering the gem before an argument would ensue, "This is quite an important matter, Hiei. We need to know what we're dealing with. I'll come with you."

...

The earth pounded beneath her bare feet, flinging up clumps of dirt every now and again. Her chest heaved heavily as she jumped behind a large bush for refuge.

They were coming.

Yara silenced her breathing, tuning her ears to the world around her. She peeked her head up from the greenery, glancing around.

Wild giggles sounded to her right, and she ducked back down, the rustling of the plants leaves making her hide out a give away. She lowered herself even further to the ground, pressing her stomach flat against the soil.

"She's right here!" A pint sized apparition with dark hair bent the leaves down with her hands, exposing Yara with a heart warming belly laugh. Four more children joined her, clapping and cheering. "You're not very good at hiding."

Heat colored her cheeks, pink as a spring rose, "No, I suppose I'm not but we're having fun, aren't we?" The children yelled a unanimous 'yes!', two of them flocking to her sides in a frenzy. Every walk with Yara was a competition, the prize was being to wrap their chubby fingers around each of Yara's hand as she escorted them through the village. They walked together, forming a blockade on the wide path, until Kurama and Hiei came into sight.

Hiei refused to even look in her direction, keeping his glare focused elsewhere. His hands were kept tightly behind his back in a very, 'you're welcome for gracing you with my presence, this is a waste of my time' sort of way. Kurama, on the other hand, stood gracefully. Emerald eyes held a genuine interest, mentally admiring all the good Yara had done in the lower class portion of Demon World. She was located in the part where the bottom feeders and wannabes lurked but the abundance of crops and contented vibe gave off that of the well off apparitions.

The impetuous appearance of the two caused a mild panic, the elders drawing weapons for protection. Yara shooed the children away, giving the others a look that told them violence would not be needed for the visitors. "It's alright. They're here for me. Peacefully, of course." They backed down at her word but kept their guards high nonetheless. Yara smoothed the dirt of her clothing before continuing, "I assume you've accepted my alliance?"

"You know what they say about assuming." Hiei tsked with a certain edge to his voice. Yara wondered if future conversations would continue to be so one sided with him.

"As of now, we're undecided. Koenma sent us, he would like to speak more in depth with you before drawing a conclusion. Apparently, there's been many claiming your identity." Kurama spoke with such elegance that it caused her cheeks to flush coral once more.

"Follow me," she began, steering them toward a full garden, "We can speak as I work. Make yourself useful and take this." She offered Hiei the most charming smile, dropping a crate of vegetables in his grasp. Her actions earned a look of loathing from the fire demon. Messing with this one would be fun.

Kurama didn't require such forceful behavior, already a step ahead. Three creates stacked on top of each other were already in his hand. His steps fell in line with Yara's, leaving Hiei trailing behind. "Remarkable. You did all of this?" He asked, taking in the scenery that surrounded him.

"Yes. These people were once victims of one of Masahiko's raids. I didn't know it when I discovered them but I gained their trust, rebuilt everything from the ground up."

"Are these peasants aware they accepted help from the offspring of their maker?" Hiei popped in with a snide comment again, this time making eye contact with Yara.

"Keep your voice down!" Yara answered tersely, lips stretching into a thin line, "No, they don't know of our relationship. If they were to know, my help would seem ill meaning. I've explained before, I'm just trying to right my father's mistakes." Her patience was wearing thin with the distasteful man. But maybe that was his true intention, to be so cruel to her that his involvement becomes unneeded.

Hiei flashed a fang baring grin, his point taken. He dropped the crate he was holding, wood and vegetables raining from the sky. "And you expect me to believe the same dribble your puking up to these innocents? Kurama has a soft heart; he understands the sick attachment a child would have to their parent, it makes him susceptible to your sob story. You won't have me blinded so easily."

"Right...because the cloth covering your Jagan does that for me." Ba dum tiss. Yara winked, biting her tongue between her teeth as she taunted him with it. "Your sour attitude makes it quiet easy to pick on you."

"You can't ever be polite, can you Hiei? I hate to defend his callous attitude but until we decided you're safe to help, it's best not to egg him on." Kurama handed her a black duffel bag. She took it wearily, ripping the zipper open to examine its contents.

"What is this?"

"Camouflage. Our meeting takes place in Living World."

...

The smells and noises of Living World were unfamiliar, overwhelming, yet bewildering to Yara. It almost set her on edge, streets covered with crowds of people, of which she stood several inches and feet beneath. Glass buildings, no greenery, bordering on soulless. The height of Kurama was the only thing she had to guide her, keeping an eye out for his head of luxurious red hair.

With the change of clothes Kurama equipped her with, she did blend in quite well. Black leggings with an indigo zip up jacket and black canvas shoes, the humans that surrounded them were none the wiser to the demons that walked their streets.

A vendor selling chakra stones was set up at the end of the block Hiei and Kurama just passed caught her attention. Though a collector of many stones, she was never one to resist the tumbled beauties. She plunged her hand into a bowl of opalite, holding it into the sun to pick up the rainbow it produced. The man running the stand complimented the fluorite hanging around her neck, telling her it matched her appearance. It did, green and purple. She carried on a conversation to the best of her abilities, sifting through the selection of stones. Happy with her purchase of opalite, carnelian, and raw aquamarine, amongst others, she exchanged coins for them. The man didn't seem to notice the currency wasn't matching to Living Worlds. She spotted Hiei and Kurama two blocks up and ran to catch up with them at the intersection.

Hiei eye'd the stones in her hand and rolled his eyes into the next century, "After you thwarted me yesterday, I was starting to think you'd be worth killing. You've lost such respect from me with your human bought stones."

"They're decoys, you idiot."

"Hn." Hiei was at a loss for words by Yara's snippy response. That was actually a clever idea...

Not that he would admit it to her. He stepped into the home of Kuwabara, remaining silent.

"It's about time." Kuwabara snapped, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth. Yara raised an eyebrow at the carrot top, making a place for herself between him and Yusuke. She stared down the bowl of nacho cheese dusted triangles, curious as to what nutritional value they held. They didn't look healthy but the human consumed them the way she made children consume fruits and veggies. He slid the bowl over to her, "You can try some. They're really good."

Yara picked a chip up from the bowl, sniffing it before biting off the tiniest bite. Interest suddenly turned away from the situation at hand, Kuwabara watched her face as she tried to gauge the taste of the junk food. Demons were so weird. A wide smile spread across her face and she gave him a thumbs up, placing the rest of the chip in her mouth. "These are fantastic! May I have some more?" Kuwabara laughed, surrendering the bowl to Yara. He handed her a peach Sprite to wash it down. A bond formed over tortilla chips.

Satisfying a craving she didn't know she had, she turned to the screen. Her eyes grew wide at the photograph, seeing her fathers face for the first time in nearly three decades. He was as strong and rugged as she remembered him being. The resemblance she shared with him stung, a reminder of her murderous heritage. Yara removed the chain from her head, hair changing from green to the same brown as his, making her lineage undeniable. Koenma came back on screen, scanning over the girl.

"It's a match. Yara, I'm sorry to have to bring you here under these circumstances but I expect you understand why questioning is needed. You've managed to keep a clean name for yourself, however I can't let you off with Yusuke without a little investigation. Have you been able to access the situation? What kind of trouble could come from this?"

Their attention shifted to Yara, leaning back on her palms, petting the cat that had jumped into her lap. She was a far cry from the girl they'd met just the other day, the one who used trickery to meet them, a far cry from the girl in the photograph. Her eyes held a sparkle of good will versus the ten year old Yara, who was as malefic as her dad. Her features were soft, yet hallow, someone whose seen a lot in her time. "Crystal manipulation is a gift my family is blessed with, we learn it from the time we learn to walk, talk, et cetra. It takes centuries to harness the power of the crystals the way that I'm able to but the power of the smoky quartz is devastating. It can influence whoever's hands it may fall into. Whoever has it, whoever has my father, wields great darkness now."

"Manipulation isn't your only asset, though. You used to follow your father's footsteps closely, I need to make sure I'm not sending my team into the hands of the enemy." Once again, his face flickered off screen, playing the footage of her battle with Yakamura.

Her face paled at the sight, feeling subject to the teams entitled judgement. Images of the unmerciful annihilation reflected off her eyes and replayed in her mind three fold.

Barbaric.

Too much to handle.

A silence overtook the room, all eyes on the constrained girl, waiting for an explanation, an excuse. She shifted uncomfortably on the floor, shaking to the well trained eye. "I'm not like that anymore. I was young and easily influenced back then. I've more than made up for what I did." Her words were harsh, cold even.

A smile tugged at the corner of Hiei's lips, blame it on his twisted upbringing, but he'd suddenly taken to Yara. There was a time not long ago he, himself, would have followed the actions of the mystery demon. The quartz would have been valuable to unlocking the dragon to to the fullest extent.

At the very least, it would make a nice collectible. He would play along for the time being.


End file.
